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Why Replicas?
Naturalists often come across skeletons in the field, and it is not unusual to find various "bits of nature" on a naturalist’s shelf or in a nature center or classroom. However, for those who want to build a focused teaching collection, we believe that our replicas offer a better solution than real bone due to their strength, permanence, and lack of special storage requirements. Our replicas are each hand-crafted locally by skilled artisans using durable polymers. Perhaps most importantly, however, these replicas do not require dispatching living animals for their fur, bones or claws. In addition to those listed here, we have access to over 500 other skull, talon, and bone replicas—please feel free to inquire. We appreciate your continued support, which allows us to develop and distribute resources that are both educationally and environmentally sound.
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References, Activities and Tools
This section includes skull identification manuals, activity guides, and related educational resources and tools for studying animal anatomy.
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ScatCast© Replicas (flexible scat positives).
Acorn Naturalists' trademark ScatCast© replicas are custom arranged and cast from scat samples collected in the field by Acorn Naturalists. Our ScatCast© replicas show every detail found in the original specimen: each is custom cast using tough, natural-looking, non-toxic, flexible vinyl polymers that last for years. Our smaller ScatCast© replicas are arranged and mounted on same color vinyl pads. Larger ones are arranged for a realistic look when placed on trails (many naturalists use these replicas to "seed" trails and then discuss "who was here," predator/prey relationships, or food preferences). To keep ScatCast© replicas looking fresh, clean occasionally with any liquid soap.
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Scat Displays and Reference Materials
Scat samples provide valuable clues both to the presence of an animal as well as diet preferences. These unique collections of sterilized real scat feature a mix of both invertebrate and vertebrate scats. Each specimen has been carefully freeze-dried and sealed within a 16" X 12" glass-topped exhibit case. Silhouettes of each animal appear alongside the scat sample. Also included in this section are reference materials for identifying scat samples in the field.
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Alphabetical Listing of all Skull Replicas
This section contains hundreds of high quality fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal skull replicas.
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Fish Skull Replicas
Included in this section are museum quality fish skull replicas.
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Fish Replicas and Kits for Fish Printing (Gyotaku)
Fish printing, or Gyotaku, incorporates science (fish diversity, anatomy, ecology), art (create colorful paintings, note cards, displays), math (measure and count fins, proportions, count fin rays), reading (use with stories about aquatic environments) and creative writing (write fact or fiction about the fish prints). All ages and abilities can enjoy creating beautiful, unique, artistic prints. We offer a wide selection of both fresh and saltwater species.
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Amphibian Skull Replicas
In this section you will find museum quality amphibian skull replicas.
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Reptile Skull Replicas
In this section you will find museum quality reptile skull replicas.
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Bird Skull Replicas
This section includes a wide selection of museum quality bird skull replicas.
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Bird Talon Replicas
These realistic bird talon replicas show how raptors are able to grasp their prey securely using their talons as hooks.
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Bird Egg Replicas, References, Magnets
Each of these life-size replicas is individually handcrafted to resemble eggs as they would be found in nature. Since they are hand-created one at a time, there is some variation, just as occurs in eggs from different regions. These exquisite replicas are used in museum displays and are also perfect for the classroom, nature center, or home. All eggs come with a display stand. For additional data on the bird egg replicas we offer simply click here.
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Owl Pellets, Replicas and Owl Study Resources
This section includes natural owl pellets, owl pellet Perfect Pellet replicas, owl activity guides, owl DVDs and references, owl pellet kits, stainless steel forceps for owl pellet dissection as well as bone sorting and identification charts. Several species of owl skull replicas also available along with educational displays and posters depicting owl pellet contents.
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Mammal Skull Replicas
In this section you will find a wide selection of museum quality mammal skull replicas.
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Animal Claw Replicas
Collection of life-size animal claw replicas, perfect for demonstrating specialized animal adaptations.
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Tooth Replicas, Activities and References
This section includes a wide range of animal tooth replicas, activities and references.
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Mammal Track Casts (mounted on plaques)
These life-size, three-dimensional mammal track casts are mounted on plaques and cast to give give the tracks a realistic appearance. Each is individually cast and detailed local artisans - perfect for classroom teaching or museum quality displays.
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Mammal Track Panels
Acorn Naturalists offers two educational mammal track panels, including a large 36" square panel that provides a perfect tracking teaching tool for classrooms and nature centers.
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Animal Track Replicas (flexible vinyl positives).
These life-size animal track replicas are individually cast using flexible phthalate-free vinyl. Use for sand tracking games (glue replicas to blocks of wood using vinyl glue and stamp tracks into sand boxes) or bring into the field to compare tracks or make prints. These accurate casts from museum specimens show every skin fold, claw or scale. These are wonderful hands-on tools for teaching anatomy, adaptations, behavior, ecology or tracking skills. Use soapy cleansers to clean occasionally. Turtle and mammal replicas are offered in sets featuring one back and one front foot unless noted as ea, in which case only one foot is included (all birds, some mammals).
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Animal Track Replicas (hard resin positives).
This collection of 25 hard resin, life-size track replicas are rock hard, making them perfect for making imprints in sand tracking boxes or for making animal tracks in wet cement or the PerfectCast® replica compound we offer. By comparison, flexible track replicas we also offer have the "feel" of a real paw and often show more detail (skin folds, pads) than the hard resin replicas. Each of these two track replica types have their own unique uses as hands-on teaching tools. Note: all of the hard track replicas are single replicas; on the mammals mostly hind feet unless otherwise noted.
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Track Molds (flexible vinyl negatives).
Made from flexible phthalate-free vinyl polymers, these life-size animal track molds can be filled with plaster, clay or PerfectCast, also available from Acorn Naturalists. Use the positive track casts you make as instructional aids, pressing them into moist sand or dirt to create a story (such as coyote tracks chasing rabbit tracks), for ink prints, or to compare with field specimens. Everyone can have fun making tracks—students or campers can take them home or make displays. Clean with occasionally with soapy cleansers. Each mold also features the name of the track and hind (H) or front (F) paw reversed out so that it appears correctly on the positive. Each of the species listed below includes a hind and a front track mold (set), unless designated as ea (birds, some mammals). For additional information on using these replicas, simply click here.
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Track Casting Kits and Casting Compounds
Casting tracks in the field can be great fun, all the while improving observational skills. Acorn Naturalists offers an ideal casting compound (Perfect Cast)in convenient easy to use and store plastic tubs for field and classroom use. In this section you will also find Mold-it replica kits, professional mold-making and casting kits.
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Leaf Replicas - (flexible vinyl positives)
Actual imprints of leaves that have been cast in flexible vinyl for use in art projects or as a tool for plant identification. Press with various colors of stamp pads or roll on different colors of block inks to make leaf prints using a brayer. (Note: we also offer a full range of colorful block inks and brayers - simply type "block ink" or "brayer" in the search area at the top of each page). Leaf replicas are life-size, ranging from 5-9” in length and phthalate-free.
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Animal Models (hard-plastic replicas)
Acorn Naturalists offers high quality, realistic hard-plastic models that are perfect for hands-on classroom learning or nature center use. These handpainted replicas are both accurate and reasonable. All are phthalate-free and comply with toy safety standards.
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